Holster for Beretta M9A1

['88Scrat]

So I have been looking for new employment opportunities recently and found one at a local range. The owner prefers his employees to carry while on the clock. I was planning on carrying my Beretta M9A1 for this purpose.

I was wondering what kind/brand of holster you guys might recommend. I am leaning towards a horizontal shoulder rig of some kind for a few reasons.

First of all I'm not a fan of having a great deal of weight on my belt/pants. Even carrying my wallet, keys, and 3.3 ounce Benchmade 51 seems uncomfortable at times.

Second, ALL of the other employees there use some kind of hip/belt holster rig. Since we make commission on all sales I was thinking of using a shoulder rig to stand out. "Hey I don't remember the guys name but the one with the shoulder rig made me a great deal on my new rifle. You ought to talk to him" Yeah it would be a sales gimmick but stuff like that has worked for me in the past.

So far I have been told that Galco or Gould and Goodrich would be good options for a production made holster. I'm 6' 4" and about 230 pounds so I was looking at a custom made rig as well.

Input?

Thanks!

[Sharkbite]

Im not a fan of horizontal sholder holsters except for a driving rig.

If the owner of the place wants you to carry there must be a reason and a shoulder rig is one of the worst to draw from in the event you need the gun quickly

You are also likelyto be remembered as the one whos gun was always pointing at people. Like everyone behind you is staring down the muzzle of your gun. Not cool in my book

At close distances its just too easy to get your draw "jammed".

If everyone there is carrying on their hip... There might be a reason.

YMMV

[ClydeFrog]

I'm not sure a horizontal shoulder rig(or any shoulder type rig) would be a smart idea. Sweeping(moving gun around) & re-holstering(one handed) may be problems with this style. Some gun ranges do not allow shoulder holsters.
If you really want to pack a M9/92FSA1 type 9x19mm, Id consider a drop-leg or SAS type holster. It puts the pistol on your thigh & frees up the belt area.
The new Safariland AS7 holster is impressive. They market a SAS/leg style holster. The SFS format works well too.
The Blackhawk SERPA comes in different colors; black, OD, FDE(flat dark earth), green.
The Center of Mass polymer holsters & Blade-tech styles may meet your needs.
They are easy to clean & hold up well. www.COMholsters.com
Strong-side belt holsters seem the most safe & practical but if you want to "stand out" I'm sure you can find something.
If you have the time & $$$, you could get a rhino/zebra/elk/shark rig. That would be a real sales-starter.

['88Scrat]

I like the idea of a leg holster. Anyone have experience with one?

[twobit]

For nice looking holster look at Mernickle. For standard belt holster G & G, Tauga, Galco. Also Simply Rugged has very nice holsters. I own several Simply Rugged.

Many ranges ban shoulder holsters for safety "sweeping" reasons.

[nemesiss45]

I wear a serpa at work. It draws nice and smooth once you break it in. Retention is not as good as some others, and it is more tacticool looking than some people like, but it gets the job done... id get one for the range, but they dont make one that fits any of my personal weapons.

[colbad]

I have used the Galco for many years and think it is a great holster once you get it adjusted properly. If you are real lager through the chest and shoulders you might not get a good fit. Defiantly go try it on. I know what you mean about the weight on your belt not being comfortable and have seen many uniform cops going to a suspender assisted duty belt.

However, if you are on your feet, the hip draw is much more quick if you are really in harms way. When I used to do protective work and was in and out of cars and other vehicles the shoulder holster worked good under a suit when seated (backed up by a sub-MG and hip secondary). It is really intended to be worn under a jacket and gives up quickness for concealability.

I have found that uncomfortable carry on the hip often is directly related to your belt. Find a good solid gun belt and you will find it carries the weight of your FA and mags much more comfortably than a fashion type belt.

Most leg holsters will take the weight off you hip but in my opinion puts the draw too far down your leg. They work well when you need a slight drop to get the FA beneath a vest. They also make retention and getting the FA "snatched" easier than a hip holster, which affords you a bit of natural protection from your arm. I think the leg rigs work well like for tactical entries when you are wearing a vest and a load of stuff, but not as a daily rig.